Your support is needed for the efforts of the Professional Engineers in Construction (PEC) as we strive to promote the hard-earned professional engineer (P.E.) designation and enhance the image of the PE in construction. We're asking your company to become a 2009 PEC Sustaining Firm.

As a supporter, you will also ensure that the voice of construction engineers is heard loud and clear and enable PEC initiatives-in-progress, such as the following, to continue:

Honor an outstanding engineering graduate student through the $3,000 George B. Hightower, P.E., Memorial Fellowship Fund. This year the fellowship was awarded to John Crane who will pursue a masters in environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University.

Supporting universities, such as the University of Nebraska, who have construction degree programs. It is hoped that this support, in letters and phone calls, will lead to more EAC/ABET accredited construction programs and highlight the need for more construction-centric training of engineers.

When you become a PEC Sustaining Firm, your company is listed on the NSPE/PEC Web site with a link to your official Web site (if you provide us with your web address). This site receives over 3,000 hits a month and is a great asset for your firm. Your company name will also appear as a PEC Sustaining Firm in PE Magazine, NSPE's monthly engineering newsmagazine.

Part II of “Slips, Trips, and Falls: From an Engineering and Legal Perspective" will explore the history of slip and fall litigation as well as legal and ethical issues such as notice of condition, duty of care, reasonable diligence to inspect property, and documenting a case. Participants will gain a better understanding of how to prevent accidents from occurring and learn about commercial/industrial workplace safety, residential safety issues, cleaning of surfaces and how to use equipment safely. There will also be a discussion of selected cases and their outcomes from both the engineering and legal viewpoints.

This Web seminar addresses the sources of duty and risk that design professionals face while administering contracts for construction. Clients want projects that are built on time, on budget, and with lasting quality. Design professionals increase their value to a client and increase their protection by understanding their roles during construction and responding appropriately to the risk generating events that happen on every construction project. In this Web seminar we will discuss duties and risks intrinsic in construction contract administration; planning for the project construction phase services; and typical administrative functions for construction phase services.

To register for this Web seminar and/or to view all Fall 2008 NSPE educational opportunities, visit the NSPE Web site.
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New Faces of Engineering Program Seeks Nominations

Engineers Week recognizes the accomplishments of all engineers. The New Faces of Engineering program highlights the interesting and unique work of young engineers and their resulting impact on society. Young engineers, two to five years out of school, are the focus of this recognition program. As an Engineers Week sponsoring society, the National Society of Professional Engineers is looking for young working engineers who are NSPE members to nominate for this program. More information about the requirements is provided on the nomination form. Deadline for submission is October 31.

"Risk taking is a must; reckless risk taking is not," writes Rai Chowdhary in his recently published book, 10 Mistakes of Risk Management and How to Avoid Them. New risks have arisen as a result of human progress, says Chowdhary, and they have outpaced our ability to adjust. That deficiency results in 10 common mistakes, which he discusses in his book and elaborated on during a presentation at the NSPE Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, this July.

Two of these common mistakes include "The Illusion of Control" and the "Trap of Comfort Zones." "The Illusion of Control" refers to products and systems we use often and lead us to think we are in control when we actually are not. This leads to erroneous decisions and actions, which increase risk. The "Trap of Comfort Zones" refers to trapper habits that lead to automatic behaviors that are, in many situations, counter to what we should be doing. We become comfortable and complacent, resulting in ignored signals, slow responses, and of course, increased risk.

For the rest of the 10 Mistakes of Risk Management and How to Avoid Them, read the full article in the October 2008 edition of PE Magazine.
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2009 New Product Award Call for Entries

Don't miss an opportunity to get national visibility for your product by entering the 26th Annual PEI New Product Award competition. The competition recognizes any process, machine, or material developed in the U.S. that improves the public’s standard of living.

Winning products will be honored with the PEI New Product Award crystal and are entitled to use the coveted PEI New Product Award logo. Winners will also be recognized in a “Winners' Circle” ad in PE magazine, within NSPE's Web site and print communications, and through significant media coverage.

All 2009 PEI New Product Award entrants will have the opportunity to showcase their product during the 2009 NSPE Annual Conference in July. Winners will receive two complimentary tickets to the PEI New Product Award presentation. Submit your entry by February 15, 2009! For an application and list of past NPA winners, visit the PEI New Product Award Web site.
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PEC would like to thank all of our 2008 PEC Sustaining Firms for supporting our programs and services. Visit the PEC Web site for a full listing of PEC Sustaining Firms and/or to download a registration form.

Stansell Electric Company Inc

Whitcomb's Construction Company

BEC Engineering Inc

Big M Constructors Inc

Broaddus & Associates

Coastcon Corporation General Contractors

Drury South Inc

Gibson & Associates Inc

Lecon Inc

Lloyd Consulting & Engineering Inc

Mercer Construction Co

SpawGlass Contractors Inc

Zachry Construction Corp

Brown Construction Services

E G Middleton Inc

Pembroke Construction Co Inc

Suberroc Systems SUBSYST

Dalton Olmsted & Fuglevand

Frank Gurney Inc

Edward E Gillen Co

Marshall Erdman & Assoc

PFS Corporation

Terra Engineering and Construction Corp

March-Westin Co Inc

Riverso Associates, Inc

Opus Corporation

For more information or to contact us directly, please visit www.nspe.org.
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